Circular-knstting machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

O. FREDERICK. OIRGULAR KNITTING MAOHINE.

No. 408,170. Patented July 30, 1889.

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UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN FREDERICK, OF l/VILMINGTON, DELAIVARE.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,170, dated July 30, 1889.

Serial No. 307,103. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHRISTIAN FREDERICK, of Wilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, haveinvented certain Improvementsin Circular-Knitting Machines,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to that class of machines in which an upright rotary cylinder provided with vertical needles communicates I0 motion through intermediate dogs to an overlying dial-plate in which horizontal needles are mounted.

It has reference particularly to an improved construction of said dogs, having in view the lessening of the friction of the dogs upon the tubular fabric which descends between them and the provision of means for accurately adjusting the dogs to equalize the strain and pressure and to avoid the necessity of remov- :0 ing or cutting the fabric to effect the adjust ment. As the machine may be in other respects of ordinary constructioml have represented herein only such parts as are immediately related to my improvement.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the main frame, the dial-plate, and the cylinder, the cylinder and the adjacent parts of the frame being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of said 0 parts, looking upward into the cylinder and against the under face of the dial-plate. Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing two co-operating dogs in their operative relations, the different portions being shown in horizontal sec- 3 5 tion. Fig. at is a perspective view of said dogs.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the ordinary needle-cylinder mounted to revolve horizontally in the lower portion of the main .10 frame B, which latter is provided at the top with a cross-bar or yoke Z), from which the dialplate O is suspended within the upper end of the cylinder by a central bolt 0. The foregoing parts may all be of ordinary construction.

D E and D E represent two pairs of dogs by which the rotary motion is communicated from the cylinder to the dial-plate. These pairs of dogs are constructed in duplicate and arranged at opposite sides of the cylinder. In large machines additional dogs may be used, if found necessary. The dogs D D consist each of an arm or bracket (1, bolted firmly to the under side of the dial-plate, and extending thence downward within the cylinder to a point near its lower edge, where the arm is provided with a roller (1, turning on a hori zontal axis. The dogs E E consist each of an angular lever c, conn ectcd to the lower end of the needle-cylinder by a vertical pivot e, and provided at one extremity with the roller 6 to act against the roller d, and at the opposite extremity with an adjusting-screw 6 which may bear either against the inside of the cylinder or against the rotary supporting ring in which the cylinder is mounted, as usual.

The rollers e are mounted on horizontal pivots and their vertical faces are arranged at the inneredge to slightly overlap the outer edges or faces of the rollers (Z, so that when .the cylinder is rotated, carrying with it the dogs E E, the rollers of the latter, acting upon the rollers of the dogs D D, will compel the rotation of the dial.

The tubular fabric produced by the co-operation of the horizontal and vertical needles descends through the cylinder around the outside of the dogs D D and between the rollers (Z and c so that the motion is, in fact, communicated from the driving to the driven dogs through or by the intervening fabric.

In order that the needles of the dial-plate may project midway between the needles of the cylinder, it is necessary that the co-operating dogs shall be adjusted in relation to each other with reference to the thickness of the intervening fabric. The screws e serve as a convenient means of thus adjusting the dogs, and being located on the cylinder outside of the fabric, they admit of the adjust ment being effected without removing or cutting the fabric, as would be necessary when an adjustment is required inside of the fabno.

In order that the overlapping of the' rollers may be increased or diminished, if required, I commonly form each of the arms (I, as shown in Fig. 4, at the upper end with a flange or enlargement for receiving two bolts for securing it to the dial. The hole for one of these bolts I elongate horizontally, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to allow the arm to be swung laterally after loosening the bolt, so as to move its roller toward or from the center of the cylinder.

Inasmuch as the frictional resistance of the dogs upon the fabric tends to increase the tension of the same and to retard its descent, it is desirable that the strain and pressure shall be equally divided between the two pairs of dogs, so that the fabric may suffer as little injury as possible and may descend equally on both sides, so as to secure uniformity of the stitches. This equalization is effected by the adjustment of the dogs E upon their vertical pivots.

In order to reduce, as far as possible, the friction of the rollers, I combine therewith supporting -bolts applied to sustain them against both lateral and axial pressures and to give support directly behind the points at which the pressure is applied. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, each of the rollers is provided with a central spindle or pivot (1 to keep it in place, and provided in the rear face with a concentric groove or channel (F, to receive a series of loose metal balls (1, which are also seated in a groove (1 formed in the rollersupport.

It will be observed that these balls give support to the rollers near the periphery and directly opposite or behind the points at which the pressure is applied to the face. Each roller is to be made with a peripheral flange (1 extended rearward or around the projection or the neck or support for the purpose of excluding the dust and fibers from the Wearing-surfaces.

I am aware that needle-cylinders have been connected to dial-plates by intermediate dogs of various forms, and that the dogs 011 the dial have been made adj ustablein relation to those on the cylinder; but I believe myself to be the first to mount the cylinder-dogs movably or adjustably thereon, so that the necessary relations of the co-operating dogs could be established by adjusting the outer dogs and without cutting the fabric to gain access to the inner dogs.

\Vhile I prefer to employ the levers e as the most convenient and satisfactory means of adjusting the outer dogs, it is to be understood that my invention includes any similar adjusting device the mechanical equivalent of the lever.

I do not claim, broadly, the combination of fiat-faced overlapping rollers attached, respectively, to the cylinder and the dial, the same being the invention of another.

My invention consists in improved means for supporting and adjusting the roller, as herein described and claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a knitting-machine and in combination with the cylinder and dial-plate, the arm attached to the dial and provided with the roller, the arm attached to the cylinder and provided with a roller, and means, substantially as described, for adjusting the lastnamed arm in a horizontal direction.

2. In a'knitting-machine and in combination with the dial and cylinder, the arm attached to the dial and provided with the roller, the arm pivoted to the cylinder and provided with a roller, and a screw or like device for adjusting said pivoted arm.

3. In combination with the dial and cylinder, the arm slotted and connected to the dial as described, that it may be radially adjusted, the roller attached to said arm, the second arm pivoted to the cylinder, its roller, and its adjusting-screw.

4. In combination with a dial and cylinder, the two co-operating-rollers, supportingarms by which they are connected, respectively, to the dial and cylinder, and the balls applied,

substantially as described, to sustain said rollers.

5. In a knitting-machine and in combination with a cylinder and dial, the overlapping rollers connected to the cylinder and dial, respectively, and the balls applied to support said rollers on the rear sides behind the points at which they overlap.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 30th day of March, 1889, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

CHRISTIAN FREDERICK.

Vitnesses:

ADOLPH EICHHOLZ, GUsTAvUs REMAK, Jr. 

